The Biggest Loser Analysis: Rituals and Stereotypes

If I were to describe The Biggest Loser television show to someone who had never watched it, they would probably express several common stereotypes of the show.  Often times, people who are obese are thought to be that way because they’re lazy.  If you’ve ever seen a preview for the show you’ve most likely seen trainers yelling and out of shape contestants that look like they absolutely hate the exercise portion of the show. 

One common stereotype is that personal trainers are always yelling to motivate people to exercise.  This stereotype is commonly depicted in the show especially when they show Jillian Michaels with her contestants.  Although trainers do yell and sometimes get in people’s faces, it’s not the only way that they motivate people.  More often times than not, they use other methods of motivation.  A couple forms of motivation are: recognizing accomplishments, reminding the contestant that someone else did it faster or better, and reminding the contestant that they’ve done a particular exercise and succeeded.  Another stereotype is that exercising is grueling and no fun.  Especially in the first episode of the season, the show reveals just how hard it is to start working out when your body isn’t used to it.  You’ll see people falling off treadmills, making excuses as to why they can’t exercise, vomiting, and wanting to quit.  What the show rarely shows, especially in the first few episodes, is that exercise can be fun.  There are many activities that you can participate in that are fun exercises.  The gym shouldn’t be thought of as a torture chamber because there are many fun exercises that can be done there as well.

Rituals are important on The Biggest Loser.  There are three important rituals during the show.  The first is the “Last Chance Workout”.  The workout has been named that because it’s the contestants’ last chance during that week to lose any more weight before weighing in.  The second ritual is the “Weigh-In”.  This is where the contestants, in very limited clothing, step up onto the scale in front of their fellow contestants, trainers, and America to see how their hard work has paid off for the week.  Sometimes it’s a victorious moment as the contestant loses a large percentage of their body weight and other times it’s a somber scene as the contestant loses very little, none, or actually gained weight for the week.  This brings us to the third ritual of the show, the red or yellow line.  If a contestant loses less weight than their fellow contestants they may fall below the line on the weight loss board for the week.  If it’s a red line that week, than the contestant is automatically eliminated.  If the line is yellow, than the contestants will choose which of the contestants below the yellow line will be sent home.

 

I think the show does a good job of defying some of the stereotypes that people have placed on it.  For instance, the stereotype that all obese people are lazy is often looked at very deeply by the trainers.  The trainers often uncover the emotional reasons that led to the physical state that the contestants are in.  I’ve found that many people who are obese are that way because they lacked the knowledge of how to eat healthy, exercise, and deal with stress.  I have firsthand experience that personal trainers don’t always get in your face and scream at you to get you motivated.  Actually, I don’t believe that my trainer has ever yelled at me; he may have raised his voice to get my attention and to get me to show more intensity but there are many more ways trainers motivate people.  For instance, I was doing an exercise the other day and my trainer reminded me that one of my friends was able to do the exercise thirty times in a row without stopping.  This motivated me to do it forty-two times before stopping.  By being competitive and finding different ways to exercise, being healthy can be fun.  It’s not always all work and no play.

I enjoy watching the rituals on the show.  I think the Last Chance workouts are a good time to show how much intensity a person can bring to their workout.  Without that intensity there wouldn’t be change.  I try to remind myself to give it my all each time that I workout.  Some days I give more than others but I know that for that session I’m doing the best I can.  I also like the ritual of weighing in on a regular basis.  I wasn’t a big fan of this when I first started working out because my goal wasn’t to lose weight; it was to get fitter.  Now that I’ve been weighing in on a regular basis I enjoy it for two main reasons.  The first is that I get to see my accomplishments a little bit at a time.  The second is merely for accountability.  I know that I don’t want to gain and my trainer is going to read the scale every two weeks with me on it.  This helps me make better day to day decisions about what I’m eating. 

I honestly think that The Biggest Loser does a great job defying stereotypes as well as making ones well known that are true.  I think it’s important for people to understand that laziness is not the only factor that leads to obesity and that working out and getting healthy can be fun.  In order to get healthier you need to be held accountable and that’s where the rituals of the show come into play.

The Biggest Loser Analysis: Popular Beliefs, Myths, Icons

The Biggest Loser is a popular reality television show in which America watches as morbidly obese contestants transform their mind and body to healthier individuals.  The show is now in its fourteenth season.  Throughout the seasons there have been nearly 200 contestants.  Each contestant has a story as to how they ended up being morbidly obese.  Most of these individuals lack self-confidence, motivation, and emotional strength to make a lifestyle change on their own.  That’s where the show’s trainers come into play.  The show has had several trainers throughout the years but the two most famous trainers are Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.  Both of the trainers are great at what they do and have a real passion for health and fitness.

One of the popular beliefs when it comes to trying to get into good physical shape is that losing weight is difficult.  It is.  Because of this many people make excuses as to why it’s unobtainable for them to reach their ideal weight.  Often times excuses are made such as: I’m too busy to workout, eating healthy is too expensive, or I’m too overweight to exercise.  This is where the trainers excel in motivating the contestants.  They refuse to accept the excuses that the contestants have made and will continue to try to make while on this journey.  Jillian has a very “in your face” approach to motivate the contestants.  She finds this very helpful in breaking down the walls that the contestants have put up.  The contestants often times bring a lot of emotional baggage with them.  Without understanding what got them to the state that they are in, they can’t make a complete transformation to a healthier lifestyle.  Bob Harper is an icon for the show.  He takes a softer approach than Jillian when it comes to finding out the background of his contestants.  He often uses more spiritual exercises like Yoga.  Both of these trainers are good at transforming the contestants into living a healthy lifestyle.  Despite their differences in approach, Bob and Jillian show the contestants that change isn't easy and they can look back on this process and know that they never want to have to go through it again.  This provides motivation in itself to the contestants to continue this healthy lifestyle when they return to their normal lives.

One common myth in which The Biggest Loser helps to prove wrong is that weight loss can’t be maintained.  Again, the contestants on The Biggest Loser are morbidly obese and have tried to lose weight on their own.  They've tried fad diets, limited exercise, and have made plenty of excuses as to why they can’t change.  The Biggest Loser show has proven that contestants can lose the weight and keep it off.  There are several success stories of contestants that lost significant amounts of weight while on the show.  The contestants are able to do this by learning how to eat healthier overall and not just by eliminating one or two food groups.  They’re also shown how to properly exercise and how you can make it practical even when living a busy lifestyle.  During the journey the contestants gain self-confidence and stop making excuses because they start to believe that they can achieve their goals.

Fortunately, I have not had to personally deal with obesity.  With that being said, I still find The Biggest Loser, the trainers, and contestants to be great motivators to strive to become healthier.  The show is well established and has proven to be effective.  I have learned that to become healthier and maintain that status you must make good choices every day.  Initially it is tough, just like the contestants find out in their first month or two on the show but it does get easier with time.  One lesson that I've learned is to always believe that change is possible and you can always learn and make yourself better.

Icons of Popular Culture

Last week I blogged about how the show, The Biggest Loser, is a great example of a popular culture artifact.  This week I’m going to follow that same theme when choosing three contemporary icons in popular culture.  This season of The Biggest Loser, has the best group of trainers when compared to the combinations from seasons’ past.  The three icons that I have chosen are: Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, and Dolvett Quince.  Each trainer has their own unique style on how they motivate, train, and get the results they’re looking for.  The best characteristic for all three trainers is passion.  They absolutely LOVE being a trainer and helping people meet their fitness goals. 

Bob Harper has come to be known as the trainer that most fans of the show love to watch.  He has several different certifications in the fitness field.  He’s also spent a lot of time trying to reach out to those that he can’t physically meet by creating exercise DVDs and writing books.  On the other hand, Jillian Michaels is the trainer that most fans love to hate.  She’s got a personality that people either really love or really despise.  Her training style is very in your face, as she tries to breakdown the walls that her clients have built, in order to help them understand why they’re in poor physical shape.  Jillian is able to use personal experience to inspire others because before she became a trainer, she battled obesity herself.  Dolvett Quince also shows that he has a great passion for helping people change to become better.  His motto is, “Hard work.  Dedication.”  He’s often compassionate with his clients and learns what makes them tick.  This works to his advantage because he’ll use that information to motivate them in the gym.

All three of these trainers are role models to me.  About a year ago, I decided I really wanted to set time aside for myself and began working out on a regular basis.  I’m encouraged by the spiritual aspect that Bob Harper brings to his workouts.  I enjoy reminding myself of Dolvett’s motto, especially when I start to waiver from my fitness plan.  Lastly, Jillian Michaels is my favorite trainer from the show.  I love the fact that she doesn’t allow people to just arbitrarily give up on becoming better because “it’s hard” or “I’m not good enough”.  I have a workout partner and we are constantly reminding each other that we push ourselves to the max because we want arms like Jillian.  Have you seen those guns?

Anytime I’m struggling to reach my goals, I think about the success stories that these three trainers have shared with America.  This helps me realize that all the hard work is worth it.  Bob, Jillian, and Dolvett are leading the way for Americans to live a healthy lifestyle and are truly changing lives.

Pop Culture Artifact: The Biggest Loser

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

Popular culture is a culture of things that we as a country enjoy.  What makes up popular culture changes quite frequently.  It's made up of all sorts of artifacts including music, television, sports, and gadgets, just to name a few.  Popular culture is important to me.  It helps shape who I am.  Because of popular culture I may be turned on to something that I otherwise wouldn't have known about.  For instance, popular culture has turned me on to reality shows like The Biggest Loser.  This show inspires me to become both emotionally and physically stronger.

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?

My career is in the public safety field.  I'm a firefighter/paramedic and I teach firefighters and EMT's.  Popular culture is relevant to my work environment.  One of the biggest skills used is communication.  Now of days, people communicate differently then they did even ten years ago.  Text messaging has changed the way we communicate.  Instead of solely using radios to communicate with each other at work, we now use text messaging.  Dispatches can send all county public safety members a message or they can pick one person to send a message to.  At the fire department where I work, we receive text messages to give us information on open shifts, special assignments, emergency calls, and training classes.  Without text messaging we would have to rely on other ways of communication like email.  This can lead to messages not being relayed in a timely fashion because not everyone checks there email everyday.  Another way we communicate is through social media.  Our department has a Facebook page for the general public to follow and see what's happening at the department, as well as learn fire safety tips.  Our chief has also created a members only Facebook page because he found that as a younger department most of our members check Facebook more frequently than any other form of communication.  He'll post all kinds of important information that the members of the department need to know.  Facebook is also used as a recruiting tool for our department any many others around us.  Popular culture has changed the way we communicate on a daily basis.

What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?

I picked the television show The Biggest Loser as an example of pop culture.  Reality shows have become very popular. They're a form of people watching which many people like to do.  With The Biggest Loser show, the audience gets to see people truly transform their lives in a matter of months.  The contestants on the show are obese and more often morbidly obese.  They often have  a realm of medical problems like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  The show is as much mental as it is physical.  During the course of the show the contestants learn how to deal with their emotions in a positive way.  The contestants also learn to live healthier lifestyles by eating right and exercising.  By the end of the show the contestants have completely transformed their bodies and lives.  They usually lose a substantial amount of weight and regain their confidence in the process.  This is what people like to see...success stories and that's what popular culture is about.  It's made up of things that we enjoy and that make us happy.